Toys



Nov. 14, 1961 H. D. WAGNER TOYS Filed Dec. 15, 1959 Zia/2.69511;

A v-roeus Y Unite States This invention pertains to the field of toys and more specifically to comparatively simple toys which utilize relative motion between a first or fixed part and a plurality of other parts in order to provide an amusement value.

There are an extremely large number of such toys utilizing such relative motion on the market at the present time. These toys are frequently referred to as jumping jacks and the like. All of the toys of this type utilize a basic part to which there are pivotally attached other parts. Such other parts are normally connected by means of a string or the equivalent to the exterior of the toy itself so that as such a string is pulled these other parts are rotated with respect to the first or principal part of the toy. This type of construction obviously has a great deal of amusement value since it has been used for many years. It also, however, has a great many serious limitations and disadvantages tending to limit the commercial acceptability of toys of this type.

In the toy field two factors are of primary importance. These are cost and durability. Any toy to be acceptable in the highly competitive toy field must be inexpensive to produce. It must also be sufliciently durable so that the average moppet will not break it in a comparatively short period of time. This factor of durability is quite important since it is well known that children as a class are notoriously destructive as far as their Playthings are concerned.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved toys of a type utilizing relative motion as briefly indicated in the aforegoing discussion. Another object of this invention is to provide toys of this type which can be inexpensively and easily manufactured and which because of this can be sold at a lower cost than prior related toys. Another object of this invention is to provide toys of this type which are comparatively much more durable than prior related similar devices.

These objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully explained in the remainder of this specification. Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the remainder of this description including the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a toy of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial rear elevational view of this toy;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 33 of FIG. 2; 7

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG. 2.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to toys having the appearance of the particular preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing. From a consideration of the remainder of this description it will be obvious to those familiar with the toy field that the principles of a toy of this invention as set forth herein can be utilized within a wide variety of differently appearing so-called jumping jacks and other related toys.

As an aid to understanding this invention it may be stated that it concerns toys, each of which includes a member upon which there are pivotally mounted various other members. These other members are, in accord- 3,fill8,256 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 ice amusement value if the toy itself is properly constructed as far as art work and the like is concerned.

The actual nature of this invention will be more fully apparent by referring directly to the accompanying drawing. Here there is shown a toy it) of the present invention consisting of a unitary body portion 12 having a loop 14 located at its upper extremity. This loop 14 is adapted to be supported by means of a hook or the like so that the toy 10 may be conveniently used by a youngster. If desired, however, the loop 14 may be held in the hand as this toy is utilized. The body portion 12 is preferably formed so as to simulate something having an amusement value as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Thus, the body portion 12 in FIG. 1 of the drawing may be considered to more or less resemble some sort of an animated character of a Western category.

With this toy 10 various limbs 16 are pivotally mounted upon the back of the body portion 12 as indicated in FIG. 2 and various subsequent figures of the drawing. Allegedly the limbs 16 resemble various operative parts of a figure corresponding to the figure embodied within the body portion 12. If desired, the limbs 16 may of course be formed so as to include various auxiliary articles having an amusement value, such as, for example, a gun 18 as indicated in FIG. 1.

Each of the limbs 16 is supported upon a shaft 20 which extends from the rear of the body portion 12, and which is formed integrally with it. Preferably these shafts 20 are provided with small bumps 22 located adjacent to their distaff ends. These bumps are adapted to retain in place central cylinders 24 which are connected to transverse walls 26 having a washer-like shape which bear in a bearing-like manner against fiat areas 28 formed on the rear of the body portion 12. The peripheries of the walls 26 are attached to cylinders 30 which surround the cylinders 24. The ends of the cylinders 30 remote from the body portion 12 are attached directly to the limbs 16 as indicated.

In the toy 10 the limbs 16 are arranged in pairs along the rear surface of the body portion 12. Between the various shafts 20 used with these pairs an elongated semiflexible actuator 32 is located. This actuator 32 preferably includes a terminal loop 34 at its distaff end which is adapted to be engaged by the hand of a moppet. The actuator 32 is attached to flexible, strip-like connectors 36 which, as indicated, extend from it at substantially right angles to connected small holders 38 extending from the limbs 16.

With the present invention the various limbs 16, the actuator 32 and all of the various other connected parts shown are preferably formed simultaneously out of the same material so as to be integral with one another. Various known flexible or semi-flexible thermoplastic resins, such as common low density polyethylene can be used for this purpose. Various equivalents can, of course, be used also. Such resins are of such a character that comparatively large quantities of them, such as are employed in the limbs 16, are not flexible as the term is conventionally used, but smaller quantities of them, such as are employed in the connector 36 are flexible, and are of a spring-like character.

When these various parts are formed out of such material a number of characteristics are achieved. Amongst these is the ability of the limbs 16 to be assembled upon the body portion 12 by a simple snapping operation. During such a snapping'operation the cylinders 24 and the walls 26 will give slightly, enabling the bumps 22 to slide aooaaee through the connectors 36 to the limbs 16. These connectors are sufiiciently thin so as to be flexible; they, of course, deform so as to extend along the actuator 32 when this actuator is used in this manner. The motion of the actuator 32 causes the cylinders 24 to rotate upon the shaft 20 and simultaneously causes the walls 26 to rotate against the portions 28. As a result of these factors with relatively short shafts 20 the limbs 16 rotate in substantially the same plane without undue wobbling. When the actuator 32 is released the weights of the limbs 16 concentrated on the sides of the shaft 20 remote from these limbs will normally cause the limbs to rotate auto matically back to an initial configuration. The resilient character of the connector 36 aids in such return to an initial configuration. As the actuator 32 is employed the fiat shape of the connectors 36 will, in case of difliculty, cause these connectors to ride upon the adjacent edge portions of the limbs 16, preventing the actuator from being used without causing rotation. V

The entire toy 10 may be manufactured as two parts as indicated in the preceding. This alone contributes to the cost advantage of this toy; it also is advantageous cost-wise since the two parts may be simply snapped together. Further, because of the fact that all of the movable or operative parts are formed integrally with one another out of a flexible material it is substantially impossible for a child to break these parts or to rearrange them during playso that they are not operative as intended. 7

All of these factors are very important when the my 10 is compared with prior related toys. Such prior reto be separately connected by strings or the like. This procedure was obviously costly; further, it results in a toy which was not as immune to the destructive effects of play as toys such as the toy 10*. Because of the nature of this invention it is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A toy which comprises a first member, one side of said first member being formed as a simulated figure, said first member having a plurality ofv shafts extending from the other side thereof; another part including limbs for said simulated figure, flexible connectors and an actuator, each of said connectors connecting one of said limbs to said actuator, said limbs, said connectors and said actuator being formed integrally with one another, said limbs each including a bearing means formed therein, said bearing means being supported upon said shafts whereby when said actuator is pulled said flexible connectors are deformed so as to cause relative motion between said limbs and said members.

2. A toy as defined in claim lwherein said bearing means each includes a cylinder positioned around said shaft, a wall attached to said cylinder, said wall hearing against said member, and another cylinder attached to said wall so as to be spaced from said first mentioned cylinder, said other cylinder carrying the remainder of the limb of which said bearing means forms a part.

3. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said shafts are arranged in pairs upon said member and wherein said actuatorextends between the shafts of each of said pairs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

